Ask the Experts

“We currently sponsor an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) 403(b) plan where all contributions are 100% vested. However we are contemplating amending the plan to install a...

“It is my understanding that retirement plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) are required to keep documents necessary to determine benefits as long as needed...

“Our university recently instituted a ‘phased retirement’ program for faculty where they can gradually transition into retirement by working a reduced schedule while still retaining university benefits. After...

“Recently the recordkeeper who is taking over administration of our Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) 403(b) plan from a prior recordkeeper asked for the identity of the...

“I read your Ask the Experts last year on the maximum permissible vesting schedules for a defined contribution retirement plan. But what if I don’t use the maximum...

“My plan needs to correct some 402(g) excess deferrals for the 2017 plan year. In looking at some old Ask the Experts columns, I stumbled upon an old...

“We currently sponsor an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) 403(b) plan and allow hardship withdrawals for elective deferrals, but not earnings, since our understanding is that earnings...

“I work as an administrator in my local church—recently hired in this position after working in the same position for another church of the same denomination.

“Our firm sponsors an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) 403(b) plan that has a two-year service requirement (100% vested after two years) in which the hours-counting method...

“I work at a private tax-exempt hospital that sponsors a 403(b) plan, a 457(b) plan, and a 457(f) plan.

“I read in an Ask the Experts column that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) requires plan sponsors to retain plan documentation for at least six years,...

“I work for a firm that recently took over as third-party administrator (TPA) for the retirement plans of a large private tax-exempt 501(c)(3) hospital.

“I work for a third-party administrator (TPA) firm that has a new private tax-exempt client which started a 403(b) plan last year intending it to be not governed...

“I have received so many emails etc. on tax reform, including articles that conflict with each other, that I am on information overload! Should I be worried?”

“I work for a denominational church entity where ministers can exclude a portion of their compensation from taxable income as parsonage (housing) allowance.

“We are a 501(c)(3) private tax-exempt hospital that  sponsors a 403(b) plan. We have an employee who has been here for many years whom we are forced to...

“We are a private tax-exempt organization that currently uses a recordkeeper-provided document for its 403(b) plan. The document consists of a generic base plan document, along with an...

“I work for a denominational church plan sponsor. Our plan permits contract exchanges (we have some inactive vendors in the plan to which we permit transfers to the...

“Do the Experts have any Treats for us this Halloween, or only Tricks?”

“How do we determine which expenses are appropriate to be reimbursed from plan assets, and which expenses should not be reimbursed?”